Friday, September 08, 2006

Digital Broadcasters | ABC Australia | Goes "Green" and Cuts Costs

At the national digital broadcaster, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, its new MD, Mark Scott is turning "green". Not with envy of anyone but he has got the "green" bug and has launched a comprehensive "Energy Audit".

What that means is that every building across the country in which the ABC operates is to analyse how energy is being used and where savings can be made. Importantly to cut "waste".

Air conditioning is to be targeted, as is the aim to reduce lighting energy and to identify best practices for recycling paper and other materials.

Mr Scott wants the ABC to seen as an efficient user of energy. As he puts it in a press statement: "At the ABC it means working together in a way that reduces our energy needs."

Mr Scott said the ABC would benchmark itself against industry leaders in creating environmentally sound and responsible workplaces.

He said he wants a significant achievement in this area.

It has been my experience in television facility operations that it usually comes down to the biggest battle between the chief engineer and the financial controller. At issue: temperature control in technical areas. The money guy says raise the usual temperature by a degree or two and save 1000's, while the technical chief says it will ruin the equipment. In state run radio and TV stations it probably is not an issue, but in commercially run companies, it matters.

At Australia's ABC it sounds as though, it too matters. The bottom line is financial first and then civic responsibility and good governance. Some cynics may say this is killing two birds with one stone - cut cost and look good to the government.

The digitally - driven, Australian Broadcasting Corporation is regarded as a 'national institution' down under. If often falls foul of policies of the government of the day. The current regime is no different. But the ABC of 'here and now' is a leader in Internet media technologies and applications, and is as strong as ever.

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